Cathy Chiba

I’m Cathy Chiba and this — Freak and Brilliant — is my online tree fort. This is the place where I scribble short messages, hide treasures in little boxes, and sit and think about things that matter to me.

And you, gentle one, are welcome to come on in and explore. Maybe even scribble a message of your own or two. And stay a while, if you like.

I just ask that you be respectful. Of me, of you, and of your fellow visitors. And please, try not to eat all the cookies.

Who Is Freak & Brilliant For?

Well me, mostly. That’s how tree forts are.

But like most things human, tree forts are better when shared.

And I would like to share it with you — my fellow gentle, caring, curious freaks. Because I know you’re out there. And maybe you’re like me, wandering the woods without a map.

Curious about the world.

Pondering your place in it.

Anxious, perhaps. Uncertain.

Prone to joy. And to sadness.

Reluctant to settle. Or accept. Or submit.

Yet often wondering: does it ever get any easier?

And I’m not the one to tell you — not definitively — because if you are who I think you are, you know that’s not how we work.

But sharing is good. Sharing can be fun. And that’s what I hope we’ll do here.

In various phases of her career, she has studied tiny nervous systems, slain dangerous patents, and coaxed small children into touching electrified devices. She’s fascinated by the inner lives of inanimate objects, and is endlessly curious about science, technology, and human nature. She has an MA in Biological Psychology and a Master’s in Library and Information Studies. She claims, however, that those degrees were eaten by the squirrels in her head.

But I write lots of bios. In my head, and in pixels. And sometimes even in ink.

When I started Dauratus, it was a way of providing technical innovators with technical intelligence, with an emphasis on intellectual property. But a great patent portfolio means nothing if you can’t convince another human being of your technology’s value. So things had to change…